When IU announced her upcoming digital single featuring SUGA of BTS, the two fandoms, UAENAs and ARMYs, unite for what they call “collab of the year”. And after a week of teasers that kept the hashtag #IUxSUGA trending on social media, the highly-anticipated collaboration of the two is finally here!
On May 6, IU released “Eight”, her next installment in her series of songs about her age. According to the album description, IU shared that Eight expresses her feelings about her twenty eight year. Both IU and SUGA worked on the composition and lyrics of the song. It features a rap verse by SUGA who is also credited as producer of the song.
IU Digital Single
eight (Prod. & Feat. SUGA of BTS) – Album Introduction“eight is like a short story where I use an imaginary “you” and other figures of speech to confess [my feelings about] my twenty eighth year.” #IUxSUGA #아이유 #eight #에잇 pic.twitter.com/Z21txR8eU0
— Team 🌟🍬 (@IUteamstarcandy) May 6, 2020
IU and BTS are always chart toppers in South Korean music platforms and both dominate the record of having the Highest Unique Listeners in the 1st Hour in MelOn history. So it’s not surprising for fans that IU and SUGA’s collab quickly topped the charts.
this entire list? LEGENDARY #IUxSuga @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/4El7xJj1o5
— jungkook being extra⁷ (@kookbeingextra) May 6, 2020
The Korean charts be looking like #IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/m4ITnhzwhg
— 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖⁷ (@RetroAlixe) May 6, 2020
and when two of the biggest artists in korea team up on one song……..it debuts with a mel0n roof hit… legendary if u ask me #IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/PkMRk32RLD
— ً lani⁷ (@moonchildpjms) May 6, 2020
#IU "Eight" Feat. & Prod. #SUGA of #BTS 20:00 KST:
#1 MelOn (=)
#1 Genie (=)
#1 Bugs (=)
#1 Soribada (=)
#8 FLO (+16)#IUXSUGA #EightOutNow— Kpop on Charts (@SerieTV46) May 6, 2020
"Eight" by IU (Prod. & Feat. SUGA of BTS) has debuted straight to the top of the Genie Chart roof. #IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/8ITE7ctU1f
— K-Charts ∞ Translations⁷ (@charts_k) May 6, 2020
"Eight" by #IUxSUGA has achieved its 2nd roofhit on Genie. pic.twitter.com/YLdKk1DF35
— K-Charts ∞ Translations⁷ (@charts_k) May 6, 2020
While the song has an upbeat vibe, many feel the sadness in its lyrics that dwell on parting ways, goodbyes, and keeping the memories alive.
do you feel the sadness through these lyrics ??#IUXSUGA
pic.twitter.com/GGsUxZAcby— sugar ⁷ ⟭⟬ (@ipurpleyoongii) May 6, 2020
me listening to me listening
eight without to eight with
lyrics lyrics
#IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/yUkbb2yXYw— ѕ ĸ y ⁷ 𖧵 ⟬⟭ ⟭⟬ 🇵🇭 (@fiberyoonz) May 6, 2020
Just like how IU described the song in the album description, Suga’s (or Min Yoongi) rap verse talks about longing for an “island” where there’s freedom and no sadness.
MIN YOONGI VERSE IN EIGHT TRULY HITS SO HARD #IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/CixX9bbWia
— dj⁷ ⟭⟬ (@sugasanaeh) May 6, 2020
The music video for “Eight” features a futuristic setting where IU is seen in a lab and then gets transported into different worlds, both live-action and animated, as she goes through her memories. The videos matches the nostalgic and bittersweet feel of the song — and if there’s one thing that captured the hearts of the fans, it’s how the lyrics and the characters reminded them of Sulli and Jonghyun, IU’s close friends who reportedly died by suicide.
i rmb saving many photos of sulli esp in hdl cuz i love her sm, the girl in the mv reminded me of u. i rly miss u lil peach🍑 pic.twitter.com/RLLc7hjhOj
— 𝐣 ♡ (@dlwlrmagrande) May 6, 2020
This song may also pertain to her memories with her friends such as Jonghyun & Sulli..
Jonghyun as the lizard who became a dragon (since he loves charmander), and Sulli as the girl in white who is now soaring high w/ him#EIGHTTODAY#IUxSUGA#아이유_6시_안들으면_에잇 pic.twitter.com/LvYGZ8nAnH
— EL ❁ (@jieunlwlrma) May 6, 2020
Fans think that the song might be dedicated to them and about how IU has been dealing with their sudden deaths. With lyrics like “So are you happy now? Finally happy now”, “Everything comes at will and leaves without saying goodbye”, and “I’ll see you in this memory forever”, IU seems to be wishing that they’re finally happy in a place where they can be free and assuring that she’ll always keep them in her memories.
"𝘚𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦."#IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/ZeZJs3x2Sg
— mika⁷ ⟭⟬ is watching kdrama (@kthperiodt) May 6, 2020
🌸Okay I might be wrong but idk why but the lyrics somehow remind me of IU's friendship with Sulli. The lyrics talks about how in her dreams, she will always keep a pure and beautiful image of her friend. In her dream, where there's no goodbyes and sad endings, she will keep her- pic.twitter.com/PhJH8ys8R4
— 🌸𝚏𝚕𝚠𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍⁷🌸BTS⟭⟬💜⟬⟭ARMY (@skramochi_ivy) May 6, 2020
“We dance together in the orange sun without shadows
there’s no fixed goodbye
see you in those beautiful memories
we lie down and share stories that are not sad
there’s no depressing ending i will see you in this memory forever
forever we young”
#아이유_6시_안들으면_에잇 pic.twitter.com/juJTpbEhuf— . (@IUcontent) May 6, 2020
sulli's stylist posted this 😭 pic.twitter.com/SIdPSPHLUY
— jam 🍊∞ (@jie4n) May 6, 2020
If this is really dedicated to sulli, then iu was crying and watching her go from the plane oh my god ok i’m not okay 😭😭😭 #아이유_6시_안들으면_에잇 #IUxSUGA pic.twitter.com/Q7OObmOa32
— anne ♡ (@ayiiyuuu) May 6, 2020
If this song is dedicated to Sulli then I won't be able to stop crying. She has no mole on her cheek and the way the animated IU smiled with tears in her eyes is so-
Out of all comebacks of IU, this one is the saddest, I think.#아이유_6시_안들으면_에잇pic.twitter.com/BsKTKB9Bdr— (ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴜᴀᴇɴᴀ) 𝓐𝓼𝓱 ෆ (@distinct_jieunx) May 6, 2020
I rmb in an ep of 7.7 bil In Love, Dong Yeob shared that he remember asking sulli:
DY: "when did u feel the happiest?"
Sulli answered: "i have never been happy"Now i felt like IU is asking her: "So are u HAPPY now"?? 😭#EIGHTTODAY #IUxSUGA #아이유_6시_안들으면_에잇 pic.twitter.com/QOCwoG25yQ
— moonfloweriu ∞ (@moonfloweriu) May 6, 2020
so maybe the theory is right, the girl in white is sulli & iu look at her emotionally from the plane..it can also explain the question "so are you happy now?" and obviously she is, because she can fly freely now 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/JNM0sajoe4
— iu 💙 (@rinamaine) May 6, 2020
Now I understand why Namjoon felt 'Eight' is a 'drive song', the lyrics are sad but hopeful in the upbeat melody If you drive opening the window your tears will be blown away. @BTS_twt #IUxSUGA #Eight #EightOutNow
— Soo Choi⁷ 💜 (@choi_bts2) May 6, 2020
Just like what Jang Man Wol said (IU’s character in Hotel del Luna”: “It’s beautiful, it makes me a little sad.” Watch the official music video below:
